The Chris Byars and Ari Roland Jazz Quintet at the English School in Nicosia

The Chris Byars and Ari Roland Jazz Quintet from New York City and the Jazz Futures Group from Cyprus reached the hearts and minds of audience members on November 25 at a bicommunal public concert at Nicosia's newly renovated Pallas Theater. During the rest of the week, the Quintet held jazz workshops and master classes as well as a day of outreach at the English School, which includes a student body of Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot and international youth.

Sponsored by the U.S. Embassy's Bicommunal Support Program, "Jazz Futures" began in June 2008 and includes rigorous training and jam sessions. It has succeeded in building island-wide musical bridges between the two communities: participants who knew little or nothing about the "other" community are now working together and performing on a weekly basis in venues on both sides of the dividing "Green Line."